The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-04-21
An.Exeifino Scana.

The British If0use or commons VIII
nc ssed a dramatic seer e OH Friday last, the
consequences of which may be very tar
reaching. The debate all the evening up
to about midnight was extremely decofous
if not dull. At the time mentioned MAJ.
Saunderson, bitter Tory. commenced q
speech on the coercion measure, den0unc-
ing the friends of the Irish cause as the
al ettors and associates Of murderers. The
words had scarcely escaped his lips When
Mr.. uealv, an Irish leader, jumped to his
| feet and denounced the speaker as : slam
derer and lar The Speaker at once
demanded the Withdrawal of the offensive
lapgua ye used by Mealy. lie ruled that
Saunderson remarks were general and
admissible, and that Healy's were personal
and not admissible. Under the ruling,
Healy, who refused to withdraw the Ian
guage, was suspended, and several other
| Irish members repeated the charge made
by Healy. At length Saunderson Withdrew
his remarks, and Withdrawals or the part
of the Irish members followed. Saunder
SOL, the calumniator, was handled In
manner that astonished not only lIimself
but the Government and the Speaker. The
courage, promptitnde, and firmness with
| which Healy and Sexton acted, aud the
attitude of the rest of the Irish party, in
spite of threatened consequences of sus-
pension, completely took the starch out Of
all of their enemies, including Saunderson,
who did not expect such resistance in the
| first place, and then thought threats of
punishment would deter the Irish from
behaving like men.
A London correspondent describing the
| scent says: g So completely did the Irish
1 members triumph that 1t was virtually
agreed before the House adjourned Chat the
votesnsppnding Healy should be rescinded,
and after the House adjourned it was set
/ tied between Sexton and tie Government
whips that the course should be taken at
| the sitting on Monday. 1t was we'll I'M
derstood and the decision, may add. was
| taken at once in the lobby during the divi-
sion on Healy's suspension, that every
member Of the Irish party present would
follow his example. Not all together. but
one by one, till the last man had called
Saundarson a liar and been expelled for it.,
and the knowledge of this fact, no doubt
contributed tothe settlement finally arriv-
ed at.
The action of the Speaker in allowing
Saunderson to make his charge was pro
Iductive of at least one good result what
ever may be thought of it otherwise. That
result was that Saunderson, when he with
drew his charge, withdrew it because, as
he said. he could not snbstantiate it, a
confession which finally disposes Of him
as politician of any weight with the Eng
lish people, and greatly embarasses his ad
mirers on the Government bench. On
FRIDAY night he left the Chamber for the
lobby pale and trembling. and as he was
going out he met two Irish members whe
called him to his teeth a liar and aeoward.
The great Orange warrior in fact collaps
ed utterly and after a few minutes he dis
appeared The incident will be of immense
service to the Irish cause. In fact, it has
already done good, but it is hardly yetclos-
ed. On Monday night it is not impossible
that there will be another scene, and it is
quite certain that if everybody else then.
or at any future time, adopts the role of
Saunderson to the Irish party, that party
will stand no more nonsense, and, what
ever the consequences be, will act with a
sternness that will surprise their foes.
, have authority for saying that lIealy
is thoroughly satisfied with the night s
work : l did not think, said he to me
= last night, that would have to make sc
! short speech in reply to Saunderson, but
, the single word Liar under the cireuin-
, stances. was more effective, perhaps, than
two hours deliverance.
This event has thrown everything else,
including Chamberlain harangue. en-
! tirely into the shade, and, together with
, the agitation in the country, has practi
"a 1}v X illad the ioarciOn hill
Notwithstanding the prediction of tht
+ correspondent, the Coercion bill passed tt
its second reading on Monday by vote O
/. $40 to 269, and there seems now little prob
ability that the malignants will not sue
! coed in enacting legislation, which is al
outrage to civilization and brutal in TIT
o extreme The means resorted to were
. worthy of the object. In addition to The
, unblnshing falsehood, forgery has beer
employed. The Times published a lettel
:. signel with Parnell's name, in which tht
Phoenix Park murder were justified
Parnell promptly denounced it as mali
, cious forgery, as every one knew it to be
But Notwithstanding the resort to sacl
tactics, and the exposure of the dastardl
4 act, the Tories stood firm, and the bill, a
Il stated, was passed.